Birmingham Council’s #ClearTheAir Campaign Sparks Debate on Woodburning

Birmingham’s new #ClearTheAir campaign warns about woodburning. But is your modern stove really the problem?

September 4, 2025
By Reece Toscani
Leave a Comment

Woodburner News

Lighting Up the Debate

When Birmingham City Council launched its latest #ClearTheAir campaign this past week, it lit more than just a conversation. Using infographics and social posts, the council warned residents about the health and environmental risks of wood burning, particularly the fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) that can seep into lungs, homes, and neighbourhoods.

For many, the campaign landed as a timely public health reminder. For others—especially woodburner owners—it felt like yet another broadside against their lifestyle and investment. But here’s the rub: while the campaign shouts “woodburning is bad,” it doesn’t separate the act of woodburning from the appliances known as woodburners. And that’s where the real debate begins.

The Case Against Woodburning

Let’s start with the council’s angle. The University of Birmingham’s research has found that biomass burning—mostly wood—now accounts for around 20% of PM₂.₅ in the West Midlands, a staggering rise since 2008–2010, when levels were seven times lower. PM₂.₅ is linked to respiratory illness, heart disease, and increased mortality, making it a serious public health issue.

National data backs this up. Across England, there were over 5,600 complaints about wood smoke between September 2023 and August 2024, but councils issued just four fines. In Birmingham alone, 783 complaints were logged with zero enforcement actions. That gap between regulation and reality is precisely what campaigns like #ClearTheAir aim to fill: if the law isn’t biting, maybe awareness will.

The council’s infographics warn that “a cosy woodburner” is not just a personal choice—it’s an entire neighbourhood’s air supply. And in fairness, lumping together open fires, bonfires, and stoves under the umbrella term “woodburning” does highlight the total pollution picture. But it also muddies the water.

Not All Wood Burning is the Same

Here’s where the nuance kicks in. Woodburning (the act) covers everything: open fireplaces, garden bonfires, firepits, outdated stoves, and yes, modern appliances too. But woodburners (the stoves) come in many forms, and they’re not created equal.

Open fires can emit ten times the particulates of a modern stove.
Old, non-Ecodesign stoves (20+ years old) are far dirtier than more recent designs.
Modern Ecodesign stoves, using dry wood, are estimated to produce up to 90% less PM₂.₅ than an open fire, and around 80% less than a 10-year-old stove.

According to the Stove Industry Association (SIA), if every household burning wood upgraded to an Ecodesign stove and used kiln-dried “Ready to Burn” logs, domestic woodburning’s contribution to PM₂.₅ could fall dramatically. In fact, their figures suggest it would drop below 8% nationally, with Ecodesign stoves themselves making up less than 0.1% of total UK PM₂.₅.

Critics argue these figures are optimistic—real-world use doesn’t always match lab conditions, and stoves still pollute more than gas boilers. But the point remains: not all wood burning is equal. And treating it as though it is risks pushing the public towards misinformation rather than solutions.

🔥 Want to dig deeper into the environmental side of woodburners?

We’ve covered this from several different angles that might interest you:

Each post tackles the myths and realities head-on, showing how Ecodesign stoves stack up in the wider environmental debate.

Sentiment on the Ground

Scrolling through the council’s own Facebook posts reveals a split.

On one side are residents who welcome the campaign, citing asthma, air quality, and the need to put health first. On the other are woodburner owners who feel vilified, especially when they’ve invested in cleaner, Ecodesign-compliant appliances.

One commenter called the campaign “clap trap pushed by those with ulterior agendas.” Another asked whether the council would also ban garden barbecues, diesel vans, or fireworks. This mix of scepticism and defensiveness shows that, while the campaign may succeed in raising awareness, it also risks alienating households who’ve already made greener choices.

Why the Distinction Matters

Why does this matter? Because lumping everything together risks policy overreach. If the message is simply “stop woodburning,” councils risk pushing households away from stoves entirely—even though modern appliances can be part of a cleaner, low-carbon heating mix.

Consider the current energy landscape:

Rural households often have fewer heating options than city dwellers.
Stoves can provide a resilient, off-grid backup during blackouts or gas price spikes.
Burning local, kiln-dried logs has a smaller carbon footprint than imported fossil fuels.

But those positives only stand if households are supported to upgrade older appliances and adopt best practices. Without the distinction, everyone gets tarred with the same brush.

A Clearer Way Forward

The conversation needs to shift from “don’t burn wood” to “burn wood better.” That means:

Encouraging households to ditch open fires and outdated stoves.
Promoting Ecodesign-ready appliances and external air supply options.
Supporting the use of Ready to Burn logs and educating against burning wet wood or waste.
Targeting urban restrictions where air pollution is already high, while recognising the role of stoves in rural resilience.

Infographics like our own “Woodburning Isn’t One Thing” can help explain the breakdown clearly: open fires and bonfires do the real damage, while modern stoves are a much smaller slice of the emissions pie.

Birmingham’s #ClearTheAir campaign isn’t wrong—wood smoke is a problem. But without distinguishing between the act of woodburning and the technology of woodburners, it risks oversimplifying the issue and polarising the very households who could make the biggest difference by upgrading.

The truth is messy. Woodburning, in its broadest sense, remains a major contributor to particulate pollution. But modern woodburners, when used correctly, are not the same villains as bonfires and open hearths. Acknowledging that difference isn’t just fair—it’s essential if we want public health campaigns to spark change rather than just more heated arguments.

👉 What do you think? Should councils go harder on all forms of wood burning, or should they be clearer about the difference between open fires and modern stoves? Share your thoughts in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you.

See related stories to this one:

Reece Toscani

Reece has over two decades in the fireplace and stove world — testing, reviewing, and occasionally getting covered in soot, all in the name of wood-fired home heating. He cuts through the nonsense, busts the myths, and shares straight-talking advice to help you enjoy your stove without the confusion. From Fireplace Products to Redefining Woodburners, if it burns wood, he’s probably tested it, fixed it, or argued about it. Now, through Woodburner Insights, he shares that experience with the world — both here and on YouTube.